Lockheed L-049 Constellation
L-049 Constellation | |
---|---|
A Trans World Airlines L-049 Constellation in flight | |
Role | Transport/Airliner |
National origin | United States
|
Manufacturer | Lockheed |
Designer | Clarence "Kelly" Johnson
|
First flight | January 9, 1943 (War production C-69) July 12, 1945 (Postwar production L-049) |
Introduction | February 5, 1946 |
Retired | Late 1970s |
Status | Retired |
Primary users | |
Produced | 1942–1946 |
Number built | 88 (14 Military, 74 Civilian) |
Developed from | L-044 Excalibur
|
Variants | C-69 Constellation |
Developed into | Lockheed XB-30 (Unbuilt) L-649 Constellation L-1049 Super Constellation |
The Lockheed L-049 Constellation was the first model of the Lockheed Constellation aircraft line. It entered service as the C-69 military transport aircraft during World War II for the United States Army Air Forces and was the first civilian version after the war. When production ended in 1946 it was replaced by the improved L-649 and L-749 Constellation.
History
Design and development
In June 1939,
When the meeting ended with Hughes and Frye, the executives immediately started on improving the Excalibur to meet Hughes' expectations. One idea was to use the
The design was given the designation L-049 or Excalibur A. The wings of the aircraft were similar to those used by the
When Hughes was brought in to look at a scale mock up of the Excalibur's cabin, he was not pleased with the outcome and stated "It's not what I expected". Hughes later had
The Constellation had several technological advancements such as electric de-icing, hydraulic assisted controls, reversible pitch propellers and pressurization, which allowed the Constellation to fly above the clouds. Lockheed had done pressurization in an aircraft before, with the Lockheed XC-35.[1][2][3]
World War II and further development
A few months before the
On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces
Due to problems with the Constellation's powerplant, the R-3350, the aircraft were grounded in February 1943. Flight testing resumed in June 1943. Problems with the R-3350 however, continued and production of the R-3350 was halted until the problems with the engines could be solved. This slowed down the development of the Constellation. Further setbacks occurred, including the B-29 Superfortress (for which the R-3350 had been originally developed) taking priority in engine supply. The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was also further developed than the Constellation. With the end of the war now in sight, the original order of 260 C-69s was first reduced to 73 then cancelled. Only 22 C-69s were ever constructed for the United States Army Air Forces and only 15 were delivered.
Postwar service
As World War II drew to a close, large quantities of military surplus became available on the civilian market along with the cancellation of the remaining C-69 Constellations still in production. With the Constellation's design at risk, Lockheed purchased the five remaining C-69 transports still in production back from the military, saving 15,000 jobs. The five aircraft were re-converted into L-049 civilian airliners and put up for sale on the market. These modifications included removal of the retractable tail stand; along with the inclusion of a luxury interior, more portholes, a galley, and crew relief areas. Better ventilation, insulation and heating were also added. The powerplants were replaced by R-3350-745C18BA-1 engines (the civilian equivalent to the wartime R-3350-35). Design tests did not need to be conducted, as Lockheed had already tasked them to the C-69 aircraft during the war (one of the C-69s also completed the trials for the civilian airworthiness certificate on December 11, 1945). This made the development of L-049 months ahead of the competing
The first production L-049 flew on July 12, 1945, and was delivered to TWA on November 14, 1945. Pan Am received its first L-049 on January 5, 1946. Due to clauses imposed on Lockheed by Howard Hughes, American Airlines and United Airlines went instead to Douglas and ordered the competing DC-6 (AOA, the overseas subsidiary of American Airlines, still purchased the L-049). The first commercial flight of the L-049 occurred on February 5, 1946, with TWA's "Star of Paris" flying from New York City to Paris. The flight lasted nearly 17 hours, stopping over in both Ireland and Newfoundland. On January 14, 1946, Pan Am began flying its L-049 equipment between Bermuda and New York, replacing the slower Boeing 314 Clipper that flew before it. AOA, BOAC, and Air France all started L-049 operations later that year. Due to requests by the airlines, production ceased in 1946, in favor of a more standard civilian Constellation, which became the L-649 and L-749 respectively.
On the evening of June 18, 1947, the Lockheed L-049 Constellation serving Pan Am Flight 121, known as the Clipper Eclipse and crewed by third officer Gene Roddenberry (who went on to create the original Star Trek television series), suffered an engine failure which led to the overheating of the remaining engines until one caught fire, which spread to the aircraft. When an engine fell from the aircraft, it was unable to maintain altitude, resulting in a crash in the Syrian desert 4 miles (6.4 km) from the town of Mayadin in the early morning of June 19, 1947 and the death of fifteen people.
Variants
- L-049
- Initial production variant powered by two R-3350-745C18BA-1 radials. Originally produced as the C-69 before 1945. 87 built.
- L-149
- Designation given to L-049 aircraft refitted with a larger fuel capacity.
- L-549
- Company designation for the sole C-69C built for the United States Army Air Forces.
Accidents and incidents
Specifications (L-049)
Data from American Museum of Aviation[6]
General characteristics
- Crew: 4 Pilots and 2 to 4 Flight Attendants
- Capacity: 60–81 Passengers
- Length: 95 ft 3 in (29.03 m)
- Wingspan: 123 ft (37 m)
- Height: 23 ft 8 in (7.21 m)
- Wing area: 1,650 sq ft (153 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 23018; tip: NACA 4412[7]
- Empty weight: 49,392 lb (22,404 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 86,250 lb (39,122 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Wright R-3350-745C18BA-118-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering propellers
Performance
- Cruise speed: 313 mph (504 km/h, 272 kn)
- Range: 3,995 mi (6,429 km, 3,472 nmi) with maximum fuel load
- 2,290 mi (1,990 nmi; 3,685 km) with maximum payload
- Service ceiling: 25,300 ft (7,700 m)
See also
Related development
- Lockheed Constellation
- Lockheed C-69 Constellation
- Lockheed L-649 Constellation
- Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
- Lockheed C-121/R7V Constellation
- Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star
- Lockheed L-1649A Starliner
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Boeing 377 Stratocruiser
- Bristol Britannia
- Douglas DC-4/C-54 Skymaster
- Douglas DC-6
- Douglas DC-7
- Ilyushin Il-18
- Lockheed L-188 Electra
- Republic XF-12 Rainbow
- Vickers Viscount
- Tupolev Tu-114
Related lists
- List of Lockheed aircraft
- List of models of the Lockheed Constellation
- List of Lockheed Constellation operators
References
- Notes
- ^ Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Histoire and Collecions, 2006, pp. 6–23.
- ^ California Classic Propliners – Lockheed Constellations; Gibson, Tom; Retrieved 9/5/11
- ^ L1049 Super Constellation – Lockheed Constellation Survivors; Petersen, Ralph M.; Retrieved 9/5/11
- ^ "Wirephoto: Model shows giant transport being built". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (AP photo). February 28, 1942. p. 1.
- ^ TWA "History" by TWA also I am in possession of a document (Postmarked Postal Cover celebrating this flight and hand signed by both Jack Frye & Howard Hughes)
- ^ "Lockheed L-049". American Museum of Aviation. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- Bibliography
- Breffort, Dominique. Lockheed Constellation: from Excalibur to Starliner Civilian and Military Variants. Paris: Histoire and Collecions, 2006. Print. ISBN 2-915239-62-2
External links
- Lockheed Constellation Survivors – A website that explains information and whereabouts of surviving Constellations of all variants, including the L-049 Constellation.